Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

वैश्वदेवांतरे प्राप्तः सूर्योढो वातिथिः स्मृतः । अतिथेरादितोप्येते भोज्या नात्र विचारणा

Transliteration

vaiśvadevāṃtare prāptaḥ sūryoḍho vātithiḥ smṛtaḥ | atitherāditopyete bhojyā nātra vicāraṇā

Translation

Wer in der Zeitspanne der Vaiśvadeva-Darbringung eintrifft — vor Sonnenaufgang oder beim Aufgang der Sonne — gilt als ‘atithi’ (Gast). Solche, allen voran der Gast, sind zu speisen; darüber gibt es kein Zögern.

Word by Word

• वैश्वदेव-अन्तरे: in the interval of the Vaiśvadeva (rite)
• वैश्वदेव-अन्तरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैश्वदेव (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (in the interval of vaiśvadeva)

• प्राप्तः: having arrived
• प्राप्तः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र√आप् (धातु) → प्राप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• सूर्योढः: after sunrise / when the sun has risen
• सूर्योढः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सूर्योढ = सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक) + ऊढ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (sun-risen; lit. ‘carried up by the sun’)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प (disjunctive particle), अव्यय

• अतिथिः: guest
• अतिथिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अतिथि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• स्मृतः: is regarded (as)
• स्मृतः: Kriya (Verbal predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) → स्मृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; passive sense ‘is considered’

• अतिथेः: of a guest
• अतिथेः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अतिथि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• आदितः: from the beginning / first
• आदितः: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय

• एते: these (persons)
• एते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• भोज्याः: are to be fed/entertained
• भोज्याः: Pradhana (Predicate adjective/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भोज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (to be fed/entertained)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle), अव्यय

• अत्र: here/in this matter
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place)

• विचारणा: consideration/deliberation
• विचारणा: Pradhana (Predicate nominative/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विचारणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Deductive (sectional narration; likely Sūta speaking in a dharma-teaching passage)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dawn scene: a traveler arrives at a house during the Vaiśvadeva time; the householder pauses the rite and welcomes him, offering water for feet and a meal; the rising sun at horizon signifies the time definition.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Hospitality is non-negotiable: feeding the guest at the proper time is treated as a direct act of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is referenced; the teaching concerns household ritual timing around Vaiśvadeva.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It links the recognition and feeding of an atithi to the Vaiśvadeva time-window and instructs feeding without hesitation.